Parking Brake Stuck and will not release!!

[PAUL T]

I am having a parking brake stuck problem on my 97 Deville. It will not release when it I put it into gear. I happened once before but t released after traveling a few miles down the road. This time it did not release. I am going to check my vacuum hoses. Anyone ever have this problem?

[CHL2T]

Happens intermittently on the 95 SLS......

Solution is to feel around where the e brake arm goes under the dash and just to the right of it you will feel the manual release.

Keep your foot on the brake pad so it doesn't bite you on the way up....

[winterset]

For your case, it might be a bad vacuum line. I always stress caddy drivers to use their ebrake often. If you don't use it, you loose it. - meaning it may stick in the on position.

[PAUL T]

I found where the vacuum line comes off the vacuum diaphragm and goes out around the steering column. I do not know where it goes under the hood. I will see if I can find the manual release and I will make sure I have on hand on the e brake pedal. I do not want bit. The Service Manual says nothing about a manual release though. I guess I will have to stand on my head again.

[PAUL T]

I found the manual brake release and all is well again. Thanks CHL2T for the great info!! I am going to have to track down the other end of the vacuum line though so I do not get a lean code.

[Texas Jim]

For your case, it might be a bad vacuum line. I always stress caddy drivers to use their ebrake often. If you don't use it, you loose it. - meaning it may stick in the on position.

I average using the emergency brake about one or two times a year...if that much.

Usually when in the driveway and the car is in neutral.

[JohnnyG]

Rear brakes, AT ONE TIME, would adjust only when the parking brake was applied. Don't know if that is still the case, but I got into the habit of using mine occasionally whether I need to or not. I'm referring to disc brakes in this post as drum brakes would adjust when the foot brake was applied while travelling in reverse.

[CHL2T]

I found the manual brake release and all is well again. Thanks CHL2T for the great info!! I am going to have to track down the other end of the vacuum line though so I do not get a lean code.

No problem, Like I said, the 95 SLS does this sometimes and seems to be fine at the moment.

[Texas Jim]

Rear brakes, AT ONE TIME, would adjust only when the parking brake was applied. Don't know if that is still the case, but I got into the habit of using mine occasionally whether I need to or not. I'm referring to disc brakes in this post as drum brakes would adjust when the foot brake was applied while travelling in reverse.

I think (but am not absolutely sure) that the rear brakes still only adjust when applied when backing up.

About three years ago, when I replaced the pads on all four wheels, the pedal was a little low.

I backed up and pulled up in my driveway several times and the pedal came back to normal.

[winterset]

For your case, it might be a bad vacuum line. I always stress caddy drivers to use their ebrake often. If you don't use it, you loose it. - meaning it may stick in the on position.

I average using the emergency brake about one or two times a year...if that much.

Usually when in the driveway and the car is in neutral.

You are ok in Texas Jim. Its the majority of the country where the roads are treated with road salt and sand where i am speaking of.

[JohnnyG]

I think (but am not absolutely sure) that the rear brakes still only adjust when applied when backing up.

About three years ago, when I replaced the pads on all four wheels, the pedal was a little low.

I backed up and pulled up in my driveway several times and the pedal came back to normal.

Disc brakes work much differently than the old drum brakes. In normal operation disc brakes automatically self adjust on all 4 wheels (assuming 4 wheel discs of course). This is because of the "O" ring seal around the actuator piston itself. It forms a friction fit that will only allow the piston to retract very slightly so that the pads do not rub the disc constantly. We've all heard of the "stuck piston" problem that WON'T allow the piston to retract, and then the susequent overheating that it causes.

In your case, after the new pads were installed, the pads were not fully seated to the disc clearance, so it took a few stops for that to happen. As the brake pads wear, the careful observer will see that the fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir will drop, and this is exactly why. The wear space is replaced constantly with fluid from the reservoir.

My post above, though it wasn't real clear, referred to the parking brake "ratchet" or "screw" feature on the parking brake system. The parking brake does not NORMALLY rely on fluid in the system to operate, it should be strictly mechanical, so it depends on a different set of circumstances to adjust itself. Using it not only accomplishes this, but keeps the cables and other mechanical parts free of dirt and rust.